音楽を書いている (Part 2)/writing about music (Part 2)

Hello!

How are you? Here is Part 2 on writing about music.

Here's more on the other two pieces of music I played for you in class. First, here's a video file for the third piece of music I played for you - "Stop," by Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield:

If you would like to learn more about these artists, click here and here. 

Now, here's a video file for the last piece of music for you - Frank Zappa's "Little Umbrellas":

If you want to learn more about Frank Zappa, click on this link to read the Wikipedia article (in Japanese) about him.

This may be very different music for you, but I hope you enjoyed these.

See you next time!

Image: "Electric Guitar" (courtesy of dan)/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Videos uploaded from YouTube. Videos uploaded strictly for classroom use. I do not own the rights to the musical compositions or videos. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s). 

音楽を書いてる (Part 1)/writing about music (Part 1)

Hello,

How are you? Do you remember the four pieces of music I played for you in class? We'll do something more with them now! This is a Part 1 post - Part 2 will follow.

I would like you to go through your paragraphs about those pieces of music, and listen to the first two pieces of music again - and this time to click on some videos of the first two artists whose pieces of music I played. I also have information links you can click on about these artists. 

Would these video images, and reading about these musicians, change your ideas about what you wrote? 

First - below is a video sound file of the first piece of music you heard - Jacques Loussier and his version of J.S. Bach's "Siciliano in G Minor."  

If you want to know more about Jacques Loussier, click here for a Wikipedia article (in Japanese) about him. 

Next - here is the second piece of music you heard - Moondog's "Dog Trot."

Here is a video file of this piece of music:

If you would like to learn more about Moondog, click here for the Wikipedia article (日本語) about him. 

What do you think of these artists? Does seeing the artists' pictures or some image connected to the music, or reading about them on Wikipedia, change your own images of the music? Write comments on this blog post about what you think!

Hope you enjoyed listening to them again.

See you next time!

Image: "Old Piano Keyboard" (courtesy of Sura Nualpradid)/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

作文4/4th writing assignment

Hello!

How are you? Today, I will show you the fourth writing assignment (作文4). In it, you have a choice of two scenarios - choose one (1) of them: 

How to describe a problem at a hotel to a friend, with a warning (注意) about the hotel, or how to describe a problem with a parent, brother, sister, friend, or boyfriend or girlfriend to a friend, and ask for advice.       

Scenario #1
You are writing to a friend about your last vacation. Start with a strong topic sentence, like this: 

Let me tell you about my last vacation. It was great, but the hotel I stayed at was terrible. 

From there describe all the problems you had at the hotel - for example, cockroaches on the floor, brown water coming out in the bathroom sink, dirty toilets, and so on. Use because and so in your writing. Describe many really terrible problems. Tell about the bad excuses (詫び) the hotel manager gave you when you complained about the problems. At the end, give a warning (注意) to your friend, like this:

So that is why you should never stay in this hotel. 

Scenario #2
You are writing to a friend about a problem you have had with someone you are close to in your life - a parent (mother or father), brother or sister, friend, or boyfriend or girlfriend. Start with a strong topic sentence, like this:

Let me tell you about my ____________. I really care about him (her), but he (she) is driving me crazy.  

From there describe all the problems you are having with this person - for example, if you are writing about your best friend, maybe you could say something like how he or she has asked you for money, but he or she has never paid you back. Each time you ask your friend about the money, he or she gives bad excuses why he or she cannot pay you back. Use want to, would like to, or have to in your writing. At the end, make a strong conclusion, like this:

So I do not know what to do, but I think I might have to push this person out of my life. 

The deadline (締め切り) is next week (10/21).

Good luck! See you next time!

Images: Top - "Spilled Glass Of Wine On A Carpet" (courtesy of Mister GC)/Bottom - "Young Man Thinking Seriously" (courtesy of pod pad)/FreeDigitalPhotos.net